Cancún vs Mexico City

Cancún leads Mexico City by 9 points on the TRAIL Index, 66 to 57. Cancún grades better on 9 measures, Mexico City on 5; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Cancún 66, Mexico City 57
• OECD: Cancún 61, Mexico City 59
• UN Tourism: Cancún 62, Mexico City 54
• UNDRR: Cancún 70, Mexico City 49

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Cancún 75, Mexico City 67
• Economy and jobs: Cancún 42, Mexico City 56
• Climate and hazards: Cancún 45, Mexico City 60
• Water and environment: Cancún 44, Mexico City 38
• Community and housing: Cancún 75, Mexico City 75
• Access and continuity: Cancún 83, Mexico City 58

Where Cancún is stronger

• Average length of stay: 5 nights per visitor (Secretaría de Turismo del Estado de Quintana Roo (SEDETUR) via Cancun Tourism Statistics Report, 2019). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 67.2 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (CONAGUA / CEPAL, Diagnóstico de la prestación de los servicios de agua potable y alcantarillado en México, 2020). Between 50 and 70: grade 1/4.
• Rent growth: 3.7 % change in rents over the last 12 months (region figure) (Inmuebles24, Index Quintana Roo, Q3 2023–Q3 2024). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes (SICT) / Tren Maya / ASUR, 2024). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (Secretaría de Turismo de Quintana Roo (SEDETUR) / Guest Assist, 2024). Grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (Gobierno del Estado de Quintana Roo / SEDETUR, 2024). Grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Municipio de Benito Juárez & Gobierno del Estado de Quintana Roo (Ley de Hacienda / Ley de Derechos), 2024). Grade 3/4.

Where Mexico City is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 70.9 % of nights by residents of the same country (Secretaría de Turismo de la Ciudad de México via El Universal / LAB-CO, 2023). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Jobs in tourism industries: 8.8 % of employment in accommodation and food services (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research by World Travel & Tourism Council; Travel & Tourism by World Travel & Tourism Council), 2026). Between 8 and 12: grade 3/4.
• Tropical nights: 0 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 10: grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 390.9 kg per resident per year (Secretaría del Medio Ambiente de la Ciudad de México (SEDEMA), Inventario de Residuos Sólidos, 2023). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• Green space: 28 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index (HUGSI), 2023). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Mexico: #41 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Mexico: #41 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Cancún in full · Mexico City in full

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